Within hours of becoming a national hero , a viral video star and the top topic on Twitter , Charles Ramsey talked about having trouble getting sleep .

It was n't because of all the excitement that followed his knocking down a Cleveland neighbor 's door , freeing three women and a girl who police say were held hostage for years .

Instead , Ramsey told CNN 's Anderson Cooper on Tuesday , it was about knowing he had lived for a year near the captive women on the city 's West Side .

`` Up until yesterday the only thing that kept me from losing sleep was the lack of money , '' the restaurant dishwasher said on `` Anderson Cooper 360 . ''

`` I could have done this last year , not this hero stuff , '' said Ramsey . `` Just do the right thing . ''

Ramsey recounted Monday night 's drama , when he heard a girl scream `` like a car had hit a kid . ''

He ran from his living room , clutching a half-eaten McDonald 's Big Mac , to the house and helped free a woman identified as Amanda Berry .

`` Amanda said , ` I 've been trapped in here . He wo n't let me out . It 's me and my baby . ''

Who are the three women freed in Cleveland ?

Ramsey and a man named Angel Cordero broke down the door , CNN affiliate WEWS reported in an earlier interview heard around the world .

Ramsey told CNN he had never seen Berry before Monday , and at first , he could not place the name .

`` Berry did n't register with me until I was on the phone , like wait a minute , I thought this girl was dead . ''

`` She 's like , ` This -LRB- expletive -RRB- kidnapped me and my daughter , ' '' he told the 911 operator , according to WEWS .

Why the Web loves Ramsey

After police arrived , Berry explained there were other women inside . When police came out with them , Ramsey told the station , `` it was astonishing . ''

Berry was last seen after finishing her shift at a Burger King in Cleveland in 2003 on the eve of her 17th birthday .

The other two women are Georgina `` Gina '' DeJesus , who disappeared at age 14 in 2004 , and Michelle Knight , who vanished in August 2002 , at age 21 , according to police .

Ramsey told CNN he is no hero and should not receive any reward .

`` You 've got to put that being a coward and ' I do n't want to get in nobody 's business , ' '' he said . `` You got to put that away for a minute . ''

' I barbecue with this dude '

While Ramsey 's quick action in the largely rundown neighborhood made him a hero , his colorful descriptions to WEWS helped make him dream fodder for the Twitterverse .

Explaining that he had no idea Ariel Castro , his neighbor , may have had other people inside his home , Ramsey said , `` I 've been here a year . You see where I 'm coming from ? I barbecue with this dude . We eat ribs and whatnot and listen to salsa music ...

`` He just comes out to his backyard , plays with the dogs , tinkers with his cars and motorcycles , goes back in the house . So he 's somebody you look , then look away . He 's not doing anything but the average stuff . You see what I 'm saying ? There 's nothing exciting about him . Well , until today . ''

Castro `` got some big testicles to pull this off , bro , '' Ramsey told WEWS . `` Because we see this dude every day . I mean every day . ''

He added , `` I knew something was wrong when a little , pretty white girl ran into a black man 's arms . Something is wrong here . Dead giveaway . ''

In one of the top tweets about Ramsey , comedian Patton Oswalt wrote , `` Dear Charles Ramsey : I am not a little pretty white girl , but I totally want to run into your black arms . #hero . ''

Hodge 's restaurant in Cleveland posted a message on Facebook saying , `` we 're extremely proud of our employee Charles Ramsey for not turning his back on the young women . He 's a true Cleveland hero . Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with the women , their families and their friends . ''

Restaurant owner Chris Hodgson told CNN that Ramsey goes above and beyond in his duties .

`` You give him something to do , and he 'll do more , '' he said . `` We always look forward to seeing him , because you know he 's gon na bring a smile to your face . ''

Hodgson said people have offered to raise money for Ramsey , but the employee would end up giving it to the victims and their families .

The company is working with other restaurants to plan fund-raisers for the families , Hodgson said .

For its part , McDonald 's Corp. , on its Twitter account Tuesday , said , `` Way to go Charles Ramsey -- we 'll be in touch . ''

Despite his assertions , Ramsey and Berry were praised as heroes by John Walsh , former host of TV 's `` America 's Most Wanted . ''

At an awards dinner for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children , Walsh said he called Ramsey on Tuesday to tell him that .

`` You are the guy who decided in 30 seconds to go up and spring a woman from a house of hell that she 's been in and was desperate to get out that door with her 6-year-old daughter , '' Walsh recalled saying .

Ramsey said he was raised to help women in distress , said Walsh .

Ramsey interview goes viral , gets autotune treatment

Breathless 911 call

Ramsey 's demeanor comes across clearly in his 911 call .

`` Hey bro , '' Ramsey tells the 911 operator . `` Check this out . I just came from McDonald 's right ? So I 'm on my porch eating my little food , right ? This broad is trying to break out the f ----- g house next door to me , so there 's a bunch of people on the street right now and s -- t . So we 're like , ` What 's wrong , what 's the problem ? ' She 's like , ` This m -------- r done kidnapped me and my daughter ... She said her name is Linda Berry or some s -- t. I do n't know who the f -- k that is , I just moved over here , bro . You know what I mean ? ''

He then answers the 911 operator 's questions about the woman , what she looks like , and what she 's wearing .

Ramsey tells the operator an address which he says corresponds to Berry 's location , not Ramsey 's home address . `` I 'm smarter than that , bro . I 'm telling you where the crime was , not my house , '' he says .

`` Are the people that she said did this , are they still in the house ? '' the 911 operator asks .

`` I do n't have a f ----- g clue , bro . Like I said , I just came from McDonald 's . ''

The operator then asks him to check whether Berry needs an ambulance .

`` She needs everything . She 's in a panic , bro . She 's been kidnapped , so , you know , put yourself in her shoes . ''

`` We 'll send the police out , '' the operator responds .

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I 'm no hero , Charles Ramsey tells CNN

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Charles Ramsey 's 911 call : `` She needs everything . She 's in a panic , bro . ''

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His quick action freed three women and a girl allegedly held captive

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Ramsey works as a dishwasher at a local restaurant